Cheap Broadway Tickets at New York City TKTS Discount Booths

Everyone who visits or lives in NYC wants to take in a Broadway or Off-Broadway musical or play. But at $90+ a ticket, how can a theater buff on a budget afford to get in without going broke? The Theater Development Fund – TDF may be your “ticket” to an affordable show via their TKTS Discount Booths.

What You Should Know - How TKTS Works

TDF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to make theater accessible to everyone. Everyday each show chooses a specific number of discounted tickets to be sold by the TDF through their TKTS booths. These are NOT bad seats. These are the same seats they sell via the box office, but at a discounted price to help make theater more affordable.

There are currently three such booths throughout the city (see below for locations and hours). If you’re willing to stand in line, you can typically get last minute tickets for a fraction of what you’d pay at the box office or at your hotel. Prepare yourself for a decently long wait, which can last an hour or more. One thing to note is you cannot choose your seats. They will give you the best available seats. This helps to make the line move faster. So if you want great seats at a good discount, get in line before the booth even opens. If you just want to be in the theater, I'd wait to get in line a little later.

Every ticket is sold at 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% off. There is a $4 per ticket service charge which helps support the TDF.

Before getting in line, make sure to choose three shows you'd like to see from the postings around the booth, just in case your first or even second choice is sold out by the time you get through the line. If you want to see a non-musical, make sure to get in the "play only" line, as it is always a lot shorter.

Most tickets are sold the day of the show, sometimes minutes before the show starts. To save even more, buy matinee tickets, but take note that some TKTS locations only sell these tickets the day before the show. The shows which are available change every day and sometimes several times a day. Keep an eye on the postings around the TKTS booth to see what shows have discounted tickets for sale that day/time of day.

Update: This just in! TKTS now offers an app for your iPhone which provides real time updates on ticket availability. Now you can check ahead without physically having to go to the TKTS booth to see what is available. If you're in line and the show you want sells out, you'll know right away so you can decide on another show or step out of line. An Android version is also in the works.

TKTS Booth Hours & Locations:

1. Times Square Location

Located "under the red steps" in Father Duffy Square on Broadway and 47th Street.